Chapter 9

“Any sign of her?” Omri asked the worried and frustrated Manasseh, who without a second thought, has roamed around the whole castle to look for Yuna. 

“None,” She burst out, now crying after prolonging her sullen agony for more than an hour. What if someone abducted her? What if Yuna was in danger right now? 

They need to find Yuna as soon as possible for her existence was something that should be kept confidential from the public. If the Council were to know about her resurrection, death was certain for her or worse, there wouldn't even be a proper burial, and the truth about her real identity would be nothing but a theory.

There's one more place to search, and that is outside the academy. He would not risk wasting the time just by waiting for the so-called ‘All-knowing’ to find her, so he decided to search for her instead.

Without a second thought, he unerringly sprinted towards the white marble balcony in front of them and jumped out with the support of his left hand.

“Omri!” Manasseh exclaimed before he reached the open air.

He felt the sharp wind caressing his delicate and flawless skin as his clothes and hair were dancing with the mightly wind. He was not entirely this protective before and he doesn’t mind these changes at all. 

His precise silver hair once possessed the color of the dreadful moonless and starless night and his skin was once bisque before it became this paler. Those were the consequences he took when he accepted this power Yuna gave him.

He is Yuna's successor, the current Life/light Pillar for almost three decades.

As he stretched his non-umber hand, reaching for the cloudless blue sky while he continued to fall, exquisite memories resurfaced in his mind.

Her unforeseen death numbed him from loving again. He tried to shield himself from everything that could remind him of her but he could not even afford not to see her even just a day. Every time he sees her lifeless body, peacefully lying on her soft bed, his tears would soak the floor.

He tried to bury those painful memories away by indulging himself in his paper works and by learning new stuffs unknown to him. He was doing that for almost 30 years and was finally getting used to it, to be honest. Until Yuna surprisingly woke up. 

He lost her once and he couldn't afford to lose her again but he knew; he had already lost her heart. Omri only has one more regret left inside of him now; --- that was his unfulfilled promise to her.

Maybe, by finally doing that, would his heart be at ease.

--

“You said he was locked on one of these rooms after he caused commotion, right?” Yuna asked her little disciple as they stood at the edge of a luxurious hallway. They managed to sneak in without being spotted, of course, with Dale’s supple knowledge about the place.

“Yeah, I even watched how he was harshly dragged away to a certain room on the fourth floor, I have totally forgotten which one.” He informed with that did-you-know tone and gesture.

Yuna hasn’t spoken up, wondering why this kid happily informed her that he indeed was spending time here, which was obviously uncool. Sadly, her face revealed it all, how upset and disfavored she was. Dale saw that, causing him to panic.

“It’s not that I’m peeking or something, I’m just roaming around, I promi---” Before he could even utter a swear, Yuna spoke up.

“Let’s look around then,” She started to stroll first and Dale followed.

They made their footsteps unheard as possible as they could as they walk around the thankfully lonely hallway. Certain soft moans, wails, whines, and whimpers could be heard just outside every door they pass by.

‘Bloody Mother of wrath and death, wake me up!’ She madly thought as she stuffed her hands in her pockets.

Her horrible feeling was leaked in the entire atmosphere, so cold and revolting that it made Dale shrink his neck and quiver as he walked beside Yuna. Never did Dale thought, his teacher was this daunting.

‘Let’s get this done as soon as possible,’ She sighed upon the thought.

They managed to finish walking around the third floor without opening any doors and without stumbling upon any naked entities. As Dale led the way, they reached another wooden stair going up, and they were about to take a step when a shout from behind broke the tottering silence.

“Hey! Da--”

“Run,” Dale, without delay, uttered and run up as Yuna did the same. Things were too fast that she did not even have the chance to take a glimpse of the person who shouted, but Dale acted like it was a sign of danger.

If she remembered it right, the shout almost pertained to Dale. Maybe it was the owner or guard of this place or something like that.

They reached the fourth floor and quickly entered any door to silently hide inside. Scurry footsteps from the outside told them that whoever followed them, they were just outside the room.

“Look there,” A husky male voice pierced through the wooden door.

Yuna and Dale stayed quiet until silence finally enveloped the place.

Yuna heaved a deep sigh. It was her first day here, yet troubles were already spontaneously spawning around her.

‘Damn,’ She frowned.

A laddish loud yawn far beside them then took their unwary attention, almost dismissing the fact that they were in a brothel.

“Doubt the wonder," That's what they heard from him. "Did that annoying pillar came to drag me home again?”

They watched the sleepy guy throb his heavy and sleepy magenta eyes with his palm as he sat on the floor with his back resting on the wall.

His long and straight lavender hair with lumps of small braids gave him the majestic and solemn ambiance. His pointy ears pierced with golden dangling earrings made him more alluring and attractive. His fine and long clothes were close enough to match ancient Rome’s and ancient China's traditional attire combined.

As he pushed his unruly bangs away from his eyes, he saw two speechless guys who looked captivated by his ordinary gesture. With that slim body and attractive face, he wouldn’t even need to shot a smile for female entities to fall for him, but sadly…

“Teacher, he’s the Crazy guy I told you about.” Dale boomed as he pointed at the guy sitting and leaning on the wall in front of them. The thought of why he even failed to recognize him immediately crossed Dale’s mind.

“Crazy?!” The lavender guy shouted to the young ‘Yuu’ni’ who callously called him ‘crazy.’ “You dare to call me with something illogically proven.”

Yes, he was the infamous crazy dude that people literally avoid regardless of his so-called innocent appearance.

“Teacher?”

Yuna was still speechless as she stared at the male elfin, astonished by how the troubles were paid off by implausible coincidences. She was sure thankful though yet uncertain. 

“Teacher, are you okay?”

A meager call shattered her thoughts. She shook her head before she glanced down to see Dale with his worried look.

She wondered, was everything a pure coincidence or something more than that?